What changed

B100226/2024

B100236/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the Continuedcontinued repression of civil society and independent media in Azerbaijan and the cases of Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu, Anar Mammadli, Kamran Mammadli, Rufat Safarov and Meydan TV

(2024/2994(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Rule 144 of its Rulesprevious ofresolutions Procedure,on Azerbaijan,

whereas since 2023 Azerbaijani authorities have engaged in a systemic crackdown against civil society, political opposition, human rights defenders and independent media, which has intensified around the COP29;

having regard to Rule 150 (5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas civil society organisations list over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, as well as 23 Armenian POWs including leaders of former self-proclaimed Nagorno-Karabakh republic;

whereas Azerbaijan has serious shortcomings in the area of fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression and assembly and media freedom, and engages in repression of political activists, journalists and civil society, all of which distances Azerbaijan from democratic norms and international human rights standards; whereas corruption and a lack of judicial independence further undermine the country’s governance, while government authorities continue to suppress dissent and persecute critics;

whereas political prisoner and finalist of the 2024 Sakharov Prize Gubad Ibadoghlu was refused to travel to receive the award; whereas his life is in danger due to refusal of adequate medical care;

whereas Gubad Ibadoghlu, a political economist and opposition figure, was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities in July 2023 and remained in detention until 22 April 2024, when he was placed on house arrest; whereas in December 2024 a court extended Ibadoglu’s travel ban, which prevents him from traveling abroad to receive essential treatment for his heart condition, which deteriorated severely during his pre-trial detention;

whereas civilAnar societyMammadli, leadera Anarprominent Mammadlihuman hasrights beendefender inand pre-trialhead detentionof sincethe Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, was detained in April 2024 on bogus charges andof smuggling money into Azerbaijan; whereas his health has deteriorated significantly duereportedly todeteriorated refusalduring ofhis healthcare;detention;

whereas on 15 November environmental activist Kamran Mammadli was violently attacked by security guards for raising a poster at the COP29 and has been placed under the travel ban;

whereas animal rights activist Kamran Mammadli was detained in the margins of the recent COP29 climate conference;

whereas on 3 December human rights defender Rufat Safarov was arrested on bogus charges;

whereas Rufat Safarov, a human rights defender and former investigator at the Prosecutor’s Office, was detained on 3 December 2024 on charges of fraud and hooliganism and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted;

whereas on 6 December five Meydan TV journalists, journalist Ramin Jabrayilzade, and Ulvi Tahirov of the Baku Journalism School were arrested on smuggling charges, and photojournalist Ahmad Mukhtar was sentenced for hooliganism;

whereas on 6 December 2024 Azerbaijani authorities detained five journalists associated with Meydan TV, a Berlin-based Azerbaijani media outlet, and one independent journalist on charges of foreign currency smuggling; whereas they face up to eight years in prison;

whereas on 8 December political leader Azer Gasimli was detained on extortion charges and faces a prison sentence of 5-10 years;

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whereas the West should not give-in to Aliyev regime when it bargains the freedom of political prisoners in exchange of such concessions as participation in Azerbaijan organized events;

Expresses its concern about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan; urges Azerbaijan to fulfil its obligations under its own constitution and under international agreements to protect fundamental freedoms and respect the human dignity of its citizens, and to ban the use of criminal prosecution as a tool to suppress government critics and members of civil society;

Strongly condemns the repression by Azerbaijani regime against activists, human rights defenders, LGBTIQ+ community, independent media and political opposition; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to release all persons arbitrarily detained or imprisoned for their political views, drop all politically motivated charges and cease all forms of repression against them, including political prisoners Gubad Ibadoghlu, Tofig Yagublu, Akif Gurbanov, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, human rights defenders and journalists Rufat Safarov, Aynur Ganbarova, Aytaj Ahmadova, Khayala Agayeva, Natig Javadli, Aysel Umudova, Ramin Jabrayilzade, Ulvi Tahirov, Ahmad Mukhtar, Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova, Hafiz Babali, Elnara Gasimova, Aziz Orujov, Rufat Muradli, Avaz Zeynalli, Elnur Shukurov, Alasgar Mammadli, Ilhamiz Guliyev, Farid Ismayilov, civil society activists Anar Mammadli, Kamran Mammadli, Azer Gasimli, Farid Mehralizade, Igbal Abilov, Bahruz Samadov, Emin Ibrahimov, Famil Khalilov and Afiaddin Mammadov;

Calls on Azerbaijan to lift the travel ban on Gubad Ibadoghlu, to drop all charges against him and to allow him independent medical examination by a doctor of his own choosing and to receive treatment abroad;

Demands to end repressions of MeydanTV, ToplumTV, Abaz Media and Kanal13, and to uphold freedom of opinion and expression, and fundamental rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

Calls on the authorities to release Anar Mammadli, Kamran Mammadli, Rufat Safarov, the journalists linked to Meydan TV and all others imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights, and to drop all charges against them;

Reiterates its call for EU sanctions to be imposed under EU Magnitsky Act on Azerbaijani officials responsible for serious human rights violations and for energy agreements with Azerbaijan to be suspended;

Calls on Azerbaijan to lift undue restrictions on independent media by bringing laws related to registration and funding of nongovernmental groups and media into compliance with international standards and recommendations issued by the Venice Commission.

Insists that the human rights conditions in the current and any future EU-Azerbaijan agreements be fully implemented, including the release of political prisoners;

Calls on the EU Delegation in Baku to monitor all aforementioned cases and calls on the EU to step up its efforts to promote human rights and democratic governance in Azerbaijan;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, Commission, the VP/HR, Member States and the President, Government and Parliament of Azerbaijan.